Car-coupling



(No Model.)

WITNESSES: v Q INVENTOE: S. I j J S BY Jj 5 0 I %u f ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES POLLARD, OF CLARENCE, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 347,511, dated August 17, 1886.

Application filed June 18, 1886. Serial No. 205,548. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. POLLABD, of Clarence, in the county of Shelby and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a full, 4

either side of the car or from the top of the car,

thusobviating the necessity of train-men standing between the cars and exposing themselves to injury.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the car-coupling, all as hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of my improved coupling and the adjacent part of a car to which it is attached, and with the coupling-hook down and a link (supposed to be held by an approaching car) about to enter the draw-head to be coupled automatically. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the link in the draw-head and the coupling-hook about to fall through it, and also indicating in dotted lines how the coupling-hook may be raised for uncoupling by a cranked rod extending to the sides of the car. Fig. 3 is a front end view of the coupling. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the coupling-link, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the cranked rod for operating the coupling-hook by hand.

The draw-head A of the coupling is fitted to slide on the car-body B with any suitablyarranged buffer-springs to sustain the shocks of coupling as the carscome together, and has a shoulder at a to limit its inward movement. The link-receiving socket O of the draw-head extends backward to the line 0, to prevent fur ther backward movement or entrance of the end of the link D of an opposing car, and-the front end of the draw-head is flared on all sides around the link-socket to facilitate the entrance of the link 1). In a vertical slot, a,

made through the draw-head there is arranged on its pivot e a coupling-hook, E, which hasa forward pendent horn, e, which is to engage the coupling-link, and a rear arm or part, c", which is adapted to be struck by the entering link in effecting the coupling, and as presently explained. In the floor of the link-socket 0 there is journaled a roller, F, which has two pins, ff, fixed in it and spaced sufficiently to allow the horn e of the coupling-hook E to pass freely between them, and to the roller F is connected one end of a chain or cord, G, the otherend of which is attached to the extremity of the arm 6 of the couplinghook. A plate, H, is pivoted to the lower forward end of the draw-head, and is provided with an arm, h, on which a counterbalance-weight, h, is hung, and may be adjusted to balance the outer part and upper face of the plate H higher or lower, for raising up the drooping endof a link approaching the draw-head and guiding it safely into the draw-head. The plate H will be swung backward unharmed as the two draw-heads strike each other.

To the car-body there is journaled in suitable bearings, i, a transversely-ranging rod, I, which has a cranked arm, J, at its central part, and extending into the draw-head slot to behind the arm (5 of the coupling-hook E, and whereby, as the crank-arm J is thrown forwardby turning the rod I, as in dotted lines in Fig. 2, by swinging back either one of the handle-arms t" or i of the rod at opposite sides of the car, the horn c of the hook will be raised to allow the link D to be pulled from the draw-head for uncoupling two cars and without requiring the train-men tostand between the cars and expose themselves to inj ury. A chain or cord, K, connected to the outer end of the coupling-hook E, passes through suitable guide eyes or loops, as at 76, and runs to the top of the car, to allow the hook to be raised by a man on the top of the car to uncouple two cars in this way when desired. The coupling-hook normally falls by its own weight, when the extremity of the horn e of the hook rests in a recess, a in the floor of the link-socket C, and when the upper end of the hook may fall against the draw-head at the front end of its slot a, all as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

At the sides and front the draw-head is pro vided with laterally-extending lugs L L, providing a space at M to receive the ends of spare links D, which may be held to the drawhead by pins N, passed through the ends of the lugs, and allowing a spare link to be easily removed should it be required for use.

I make the coupling-link D with its lower face rounding or eonvexed lengthwise of the link, and the ends of the link at its upper face will preferably be rounded over a little, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 of the drawings. hen the coupling-hook E falls, it will draw upon the chain or cord G and turn the roller 1* so its pins ff project forward and upward, as in Fig. 1, and when the link D approaches for coupling on another car the link will strike the pins f and turn the roller F, and thereby draw on the chain or cord G and lift the horn e of the coupling-hook, to allow the end cross-bar of the link to pass behind the horn e and strike the rear arm, 0 of the hook, and thereby force'the horn a downward within the link to effect the coupling, the pins ff of roller F then standing within the link.

To uncouple the cars either the crank-arm I .I or the pull chain or cord K will be operated to lift the horn c and allow the link to escape from the draw-head, as hereinbefore explained.

By the extension of slot at through the bottom of the draw-head dust and dirt may escape from the link-socket or will not lodge therein to interfere with the proper working of the coupling-hook and its connections.

It will be noticed that as the coupling-link cannot pass back of the end 0 of the linksoeket the arm a of the coupling-hook and the crank-arm J cannot be broken by pressure of the link against them.

For coupling ears having draw-heads of diii'erent heights, a coupling-link bent fiatwise in the center and having opposite ends in different horizontal planes will be used, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is e 1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, provided with a link-socket, C, and a vertical slot, a, extending behind the end 0 of socket C, of acoupling-hook, E, pivoted at e in the slot c, and provided with a link-confining front horn, e, and a rear arm, 0 substantially as shown and described, whereby the entering link will pass the raised horn e and strike the arm e to-lower the horn, and without danger of breaking said arm 0 or the mechanism behind it, as set forth.

2. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, having a link-socket, G, and a vertical slot, a, of a pivoted coupling-hook, E, provided with a born, c, and arm 0', a roller, F, journaled at the floor of the link-socket and provided with pins ff, and a chain, G, connecting the roller F with the arm a" of the coupling-hook, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, having a linksocket, U, and a vertical slot, (0, and a coupling-hook, E, pivoted at e in said slot, and provided with a link-holding horn, c, and a rear arm, a", of a red, I, journaled across the car-body, and having a crankarm, J, projecting into the drawhead (6' behind the arm (1 of the couplinghook, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

4. In a car-coupling. the combination, with a socketed drawhead, of a link lifter and guide, as at H, pivoted to the draw-head and provided with a counter-balance, substantially as shown and described, whereby the linklifter may be held at any required angle to catch and guide the link of an approaching car, as set forth.

JAMES H. POLIIARD.

\Vitnesses:

It. N. TURNER, S. H. XVnrrnY. 

